Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Foreign Minister, Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, appeared unsettled as she firmly denied claims that her government collaborates with the FDLR, a terrorist group opposed to the Government of Rwanda.
During an interview with Al Jazeera published on November 13, 2025, Minister Kayikwamba was reminded that the DRC Government has been urged to cease its cooperation with the FDLR and to allow independent verification of such actions.
When asked, “Can you tell the world that you do not support the FDLR?” Kayikwamba shook her head and responded, “We do not support the FDLR. We do not support it.”
She argued that the FDLR consists of “Rwandans who have spent 30 years on our soil and severely harmed our population. They are not Rwandans.”
The minister was reminded that for many years, international human rights organizations have documented instances in which the DRC has either collaborated with or fought against the FDLR, depending on the state of its relations with Rwanda.
Presented with evidence including reports from 2009 Kayikwamba dismissed them, saying, “You are talking about 2009, and we are now in 2025.”
As she continued deflecting the journalist’s questions, she was reminded that on February 21, 2025, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 2773, condemning the support the Congolese army provides to armed groups, particularly the FDLR, and demanding that such support stop.
When asked whether the UN Security Council was lying about the DRC army’s involvement, she replied that if any support is given to the FDLR, it is not government policy but likely the work of individual Congolese soldiers. “If there is support being given to the FDLR, I believe we must distinguish this clearly it is not state policy. We are talking about individuals within the army, and when we find evidence, we have mechanisms to hold them accountable,” she said.
The journalist then questioned why the UN Security Council would urge the national army—not individual soldiers to end such support if it were truly not government-backed. Kayikwamba conceded that the national army was addressed because it is responsible for its soldiers and for enforcing discipline and legal compliance.
On October 10, 2025, as part of commitments under the Washington peace agreements, the DRC military urged FDLR fighters to lay down their arms to facilitate repatriation to Rwanda and instructed Congolese soldiers to stop collaborating with them.
The journalist pointed out that despite Kayikwamba’s claims that only a few soldiers may be collaborating with the FDLR, the army’s own statement ordering an end to such cooperation suggests a deeper issue.
Kayikwamba insisted that the DRC military continues to encourage FDLR fighters to disarm. Asked whether they have begun doing so, she said many of them have already been disarming through UN-led demobilization programs.
However, FDLR military spokesperson Lt Col Octavien Mutimura recently told Radio France Internationale (RFI) that they have no intention of disarming and are prepared to fight if attacked. “Disarmament, under the conditions they demand, is a dream… When you are in the middle of fire, you cannot doubt that you will be attacked,” he said.
FDLR fighters remain active in several areas of eastern DRC, including Walikale Territory. They continue to fight alongside government forces in operations targeting areas under AFC/M23 control.
In June, Rwandan military spokesperson Brig Gen Ronald Rwivanga stated that the FDLR’s strength ranges between 7,000 and 10,000 fighters. This week, the UN repatriated 12 FDLR combatants.
